An interview with Simon Curtis

Simon, you’re everywhere all of a sudden. Where did you come from?
Well, technically I was born in Michigan and raised in Oklahoma, but I think you mean career-wise, ha. I started performing in musical theater and opera when I was 10, moved to LA right after graduating, starred in a Nickelodeon movie musical two years later and did some other television work, and wrote and co-produced my first album back in October which was just released three weeks ago for free online. Quite a run-on sentence there, but it about sums it all up!

You really made your album in WV?
Yes, in the basement of my producer’s house, surrounded by 3 young, screaming boys, a crazy dog, and a fat cat.

Why are you giving it away for free?
One of my best friends, Andrea Lewis, starred on Degrassi for many years with her friend Aubrey (now known as Drake), and kept me abreast of everything going on with him for over a year before he blew up. It just made sense to present myself to the world in a viral, guilt-free-download way in hopes of galvanizing a fanbase and proving myself to record labels.

Your site, photography and styling is really smart. Who did it? Was it Kanye inspired?
Thank you, first and foremost. I love Kanye & feel like he is a genuine purveyor of modern pop art, so I guess somewhere I might be inspired by him, but as far as direct inspirations are concerned, no the vision was all my own. My friend Tyler Shields is a brilliant pop art photographer (truly a modern day Andy Warhol) and I knew exactly what I wanted him to shoot for the album cover as soon as I came up with the title. My best friend’s ex-boyfriend Erik Finsrud is the graphic designer responsible for the site and cover, and he did such a phenomenal job. I love his taste in typesets and I knew that I wanted a stark, clean aesthetic to really let the photography shine and pop. He completely delivered. Everything was a vision in my head as soon as I came up with the title.

Who would be your dream duet?
I want to cover “Obsession” with Lady Gaga.

What’s the 5 most played songs on your iPod?
Unlovable – Darren Hayes, Fucking Boyfriend – The Bird and The Bee, TwentySomething – Jamie Cullum, What U See is What U Get – Britney Spears, Ships in The Night – Brazilian Girls

Lastly, what’s in store for all the new Simon Curtis fans this summer?
I’ve promised another new free album in exchange for them getting me to #6 on the worldwide Trending Topics on Twitter, so that will coming up, and hopefully a shiny new major label release available in stores all over the world to boot. A tour, videos, etc., I have my sights set on world domination, in the friendliest, humblest manner of course, mind you!